I Still Made It
by arisami
Summary: Sakura is being pestered all day with a thing she can't seem to remember but thankfully she remembers it barely on time.


**I Still Made It**

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At the Hokage Tower, the Godaime is presently briefing Team Kakashi on their current mission.

Tsunade introduced them to Masaru, a boy at the age of twelve with red hair and brown eyes. He's from the Land of Red Beans and the sole survivor of the royal family. His older brother Iwao, who can't wait for their father to retire, hired nins and killed their entire family.

Tsunade further explains that Masaru only escapes the tragedy with the help of one of their servant, who risked his life to get him out of the country and get him to Konoha to ask for help.

Now, they must aid him enter his country and put an end to his brother's false reign.

They were also given instructions to travel as soon as possible. Everyone is given a full hour to prepare and then to meet at the gate after.

Sakura immediately went home to sort things out. She freshens up, check her tools and medicine bag for the things they might need for the mission. She double checks everything and makes sure that everything's in order.

She makes her way to the door but stops when she feels something doesn't feel right. She knows that she's still forgetting something but can't seem to put a name on it.

Sakura thinks hard about it and is so focus on remembering, that for a moment, she looks like a statue just standing in the hallway.

The slamming of a nearby door awakens her from her trance like state and with that any thoughts on her mind vanish.

Dismissing the feeling for the mean time, she dashes off for the gate.

Upon arriving, Sakura sees Sai and Masaru already waiting at the gate. Luckily they didn't spend a lot of time waiting for Naruto and Kakashi.

If everything went well the journey would take them at least three days to get there.

Only a few feet away from Konoha, Naruto is already happily chatting with Masaru while Sai silently listens beside them.

Sakura, a little behind the three, tries to join in the conversation but is having difficulty in focusing. She still has this uneasy feeling and is trying to remember the _thing _that's making her that way.

Naruto notices Sakura's silence and asks her about it. She tells him that she has this uneasiness that she's forgetting something.

He ponders on it a bit and tells her that she might have forgotten to hand in a medical report or something Tsunade might have instructed her to do.

She only shakes her head to this, tells Naruto that she is certain that it has nothing to do with her work.

He then jokingly suggests that she might be forgetting that today's her time of the month and forgot to bring the 'thing' in which Sakura answers Naruto with her fist.

Now that she thinks about it the less vague it becomes. She knows that it's not work related and it might be something personal.

Having the feeling of being on the verge of remembering it, she senses different chakra signatures.

Kunai in hand, the team takes their assigned position. Sakura stays with Masaru while Naruto and Sai are in front and Kakashi is at their back.

A group of masked nins appears before them and surrounds the team. From the looks of it, having no hitae baring any engraved country, they seem to be hired nins.

Naruto, being the impatient one, makes the first move and with that everyone engages on a fight.

Only a few nins went after Naruto, Sai and Kakashi, just enough to keep them occupied. The totality of them went after her. It seems that they see her as the weakest member or maybe they just want to finish their target faster.

Sakura, frustrated at being seen as the weakest and also denying her of having to uncovering the _thing _she's being pestered by all day long decides to take them all at once.

Sensing what's happening Kakashi immediately grabs Masaru leaping a few feet high above a tree, Sai having done the same.

Sakura gathers chakra on her fist and slams it hard on the ground. The ground breaks into chunks making the oblivious nins either out of balance or trap into its crevices.

Thanks to Sakura's actions the battle ended a lot faster, only taking a few ones who escape her wrath.

As night time fell, the team decides to camp on a clearing they found. First, they secure the place and then gather woods for a fire they need for the night.

After an uneventful dinner, well except for Naruto's non-stop chattering, the team sets to turn in for the day.

Kakashi volunters to take the first watch.

While laying and waiting for sleep to claim her, she tries to remember the elusive thought that always escapes her mind.

She immediately goes through everything that happened that day. From the moment she opened her eyes that morning until the last thing she did just moments ago.

Sakura even consider work related stuffs and Naruto's absurd suggestion of being the time of the month but nothing seems to make her remember it.

After a few minutes later, frustration hits her and just chooses to let it go.

Sakura settles to look around her surroundings. Across her, Naruto, who's snores can make their location known to the enemies, and Masaru lays sleeping in a make shift bed same as hers.

Next, she sees Sai sitting beside a tree his blanket wrapped around his whole body which she doubts isn't sleeping.

Lastly, she sees Kakashi reading his Icha Icha book and that's when she remembers the _thing_.

Now, everything makes sense to her as how it is not something about work and why it is something personal.

She sits up quickly and calls for Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei…"

"Hm"

"I know it's a bit late but I know I still made it… Happy Birthday!"

Kakashi who was bit shock but doesn't let her sees it, stares at her.

Sakura then sees the familiar crinkle in his eye sending you the message that he is smiling under his mask.

"Thank you and yes, you still made it."

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**Published: 9-12-07 - ****Re-written: 3-14-11**

**Thank you for reading. Any form of reviews are welcome.**

**NARUTO © 2007 Masashi Kishimoto**


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